The Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities (HACU) has announced an upcoming professional development event tailored for educators, administrators, and institutional leaders seeking to enhance student outcomes in higher education. HACU will host a specialized member webinar titled “Measuring What Matters: Embedding Career Readiness Assessment into the Undergraduate Business Curriculum and Student Experience,” scheduled for November 19, 2026, at 1 p.m. Central Time.
The virtual session is designed to address a growing priority across higher education institutions: bridging the gap between academic coursework and long-term professional success. As colleges and universities face increased scrutiny regarding return on investment, student employability, and career mobility, educators are actively seeking reliable methodologies to evaluate how effectively their programs prepare students for the modern workforce.
According to event organizers, the upcoming webinar will take a deep dive into an innovative institutional model currently being deployed at the Dominican University of California. Specifically, the session will explore how the university is implementing a comprehensive pre- and post-assessment strategy directly within its undergraduate business curriculum. This framework is designed to measure tangible student growth across several critical dimensions, including career readiness, professional relationship building, the adoption of life design mindsets, and overall career mobility.
Participants who tune into the session will be introduced to practical, actionable strategies for seamlessly embedding meaningful assessments into existing academic courses without disrupting core educational objectives. Furthermore, presenters will discuss how faculty and administrators can effectively utilize the resulting data. By analyzing assessment outcomes, institutions can gain a clearer, evidence-based understanding of student growth over time, pinpoint specific areas requiring curricular improvement, and make informed, data-driven decisions regarding future program planning and resource allocation.
The webinar features prominent leaders who are directly involved in driving these initiatives. The presentation will be led by Giulia Welch, director of internships and professional development and adjunct professor at the Barowsky School of Business at Dominican University of California. She will be joined by Marieli Rubio, partner and vice president of impact at Career Launch, an organization that collaborates with educational institutions to expand professional opportunities and track student success metrics. Both presenters bring specialized expertise in bridging the traditional divide between classroom instruction and professional development, offering attendees a comprehensive perspective that combines academic administration with external industry impact.
This educational offering is being organized and hosted as part of the ongoing HACU-member webinar series, which is dedicated to providing high-value resources, professional development, and collaborative learning opportunities to member institutions serving Hispanic and diverse student populations across the United States and beyond.
Higher education professionals, particularly those involved in business program administration, curriculum design, career services, and institutional effectiveness, are encouraged to attend. Registration for the online event is currently open, and interested individuals can secure their participation by visiting the official registration portal provided through HACU’s communication channels.
